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    <h1 align="CENTER">Apache Server Frequently Asked
    Questions</h1>

    <p>$Revision: 1.13 $ ($Date: 2002/12/23 02:12:13 $)</p>

    <p>The latest version of this FAQ is always available from the
    main Apache web site, at &lt;<a
    href="http://httpd.apache.org/docs/misc/FAQ.html"
    rel="Help"><samp>http://httpd.apache.org/docs/misc/FAQ.html</samp></a>&gt;.</p>
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    <p>If you are reading a text-only version of this FAQ, you may
    find numbers enclosed in brackets (such as "[12]"). These refer
    to the list of reference URLs to be found at the end of the
    document. These references do not appear, and are not needed,
    for the hypertext version.</p>

    <h2>The Questions</h2>

    <ol type="A">
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      <li value="1">
        <strong>Background</strong> 

        <ol>
          <li><a href="#what">What is Apache?</a></li>

          <li><a href="#why">How and why was Apache
          created?</a></li>

          <li><a href="#name">Why the name "Apache"?</a></li>

          <li><a href="#compare">OK, so how does Apache compare to
          other servers?</a></li>

          <li><a href="#tested">How thoroughly tested is
          Apache?</a></li>

          <li><a href="#future">What are the future plans for
          Apache?</a></li>

          <li><a href="#support">Whom do I contact for
          support?</a></li>

          <li><a href="#more">Is there any more information on
          Apache?</a></li>

          <li><a href="#where">Where can I get Apache?</a></li>

          <li><a href="#logo">May I use the Apache logo on my
          product or Web site?</a></li>
        </ol>
      </li>
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    </ol>
    <hr />

    <h2>The Answers</h2>
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    <h3>A. Background</h3>

    <ol>
      <li>
        <a id="what" name="what"><strong>What is
        Apache?</strong></a> 

        <p>The Apache httpd server</p>

        <ul>
          <li>is a powerful, flexible, HTTP/1.1 compliant web
          server</li>

          <li>implements the latest protocols, including HTTP/1.1
          (RFC2616)</li>

          <li>is highly configurable and extensible with
          third-party modules</li>

          <li>can be customised by writing 'modules' using the
          Apache module API</li>

          <li>provides full source code and comes with an
          unrestrictive license</li>

          <li>runs on Windows NT/9x, Netware 5.x and above, OS/2, and most
          versions of Unix, as well as several other operating
          systems</li>

          <li>is actively being developed</li>

          <li>encourages user feedback through new ideas, bug
          reports and patches</li>

          <li>
            implements many frequently requested features,
            including:<br />
            <br />
             

            <dl>
              <dt>DBM databases for authentication</dt>

              <dd>allows you to easily set up password-protected
              pages with enormous numbers of authorized users,
              without bogging down the server.</dd>

              <dt>Customized responses to errors and problems</dt>

              <dd>Allows you to set up files, or even CGI scripts,
              which are returned by the server in response to
              errors and problems, e.g. setup a script to intercept
              <strong>500 Server Error</strong>s and perform
              on-the-fly diagnostics for both users and
              yourself.</dd>

              <dt>Multiple DirectoryIndex directives</dt>

              <dd>Allows you to say <code>DirectoryIndex index.html
              index.cgi</code>, which instructs the server to
              either send back <code>index.html</code> or run
              <code>index.cgi</code> when a directory URL is
              requested, whichever it finds in the directory.</dd>

              <dt>Unlimited flexible URL rewriting and
              aliasing</dt>

              <dd>Apache has no fixed limit on the numbers of
              Aliases and Redirects which may be declared in the
              config files. In addition, a powerful rewriting
              engine can be used to solve most URL manipulation
              problems.</dd>

              <dt>Content negotiation</dt>

              <dd>i.e. the ability to automatically serve clients
              of varying sophistication and HTML level compliance,
              with documents which offer the best representation of
              information that the client is capable of
              accepting.</dd>

              <dt>Virtual Hosts</dt>

              <dd>A much requested feature, sometimes known as
              multi-homed servers. This allows the server to
              distinguish between requests made to different IP
              addresses or names (mapped to the same machine).
              Apache also offers dynamically configurable
              mass-virtual hosting.</dd>

              <dt>Configurable Reliable Piped Logs</dt>

              <dd>You can configure Apache to generate logs in the
              format that you want. In addition, on most Unix
              architectures, Apache can send log files to a pipe,
              allowing for log rotation, hit filtering, real-time
              splitting of multiple vhosts into separate logs, and
              asynchronous DNS resolving on the fly.</dd>
            </dl>
          </li>
        </ul>
        <hr />
      </li>

      <li>
        <a id="why" name="why"><strong>How and why was Apache
        created?</strong></a> 

        <p>The <a
        href="http://httpd.apache.org/ABOUT_APACHE.html">About
        Apache</a> document explains how the Apache project evolved
        from its beginnings as an outgrowth of the NCSA httpd
        project to its current status as one of the fastest, most
        efficient, and most functional web servers in
        existence.</p>
        <hr />
      </li>

      <li>
        <a id="name" name="name"><strong>Why the name
        "Apache"?</strong></a> 

        <p>The name 'Apache' was chosen from respect for
        the Native American Indian tribe of Apache (Ind&eacute;),
        <a href="http://www.indians.org/welker/apache.htm">well-known
        for their superior skills in warfare strategy and their
        inexhaustible endurance</a>. For more information on the
        Apache Nation, we suggest searching
        <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=Apache+Nation">Google</a>,
        <a href="http://www.northernlight.com/nlquery.fcg?qr=Apache+Nation"
          >Northernlight</a>, or
        <a href="http://www.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/asearch?query=Apache+Nation"
          >AllTheWeb</a>.</p>

        <p>Secondarily, and more popularly (though incorrectly) accepted,
        it's a considered cute name which stuck. Apache is "<strong>A
        PA</strong>t<strong>CH</strong>y server". It was based on
        some existing code and a series of "patch files".</p>

        <hr />
      </li>

      <li>
        <a id="compare" name="compare"><strong>OK, so how does
        Apache compare to other servers?</strong></a> 

        <p>For an independent assessment, see <a
        href="http://webcompare.internet.com/">Web
        Compare</a>.</p>

        <p>Apache has been shown to be substantially faster, more
        stable, and more feature-full than many other web servers.
        Although certain commercial servers have claimed to surpass
        Apache's speed (it has not been demonstrated that any of
        these "benchmarks" are a good way of measuring WWW server
        speed at any rate), we feel that it is better to have a
        mostly-fast free server than an extremely-fast server that
        costs thousands of dollars. Apache is run on sites that get
        millions of hits per day, and they have experienced no
        performance difficulties.</p>
        <hr />
      </li>

      <li>
        <a id="tested" name="tested"><strong>How thoroughly tested
        is Apache?</strong></a> 

        <p>Apache is run on over 6 million Internet servers (as of
        February 2000). It has been tested thoroughly by both
        developers and users. The Apache Group maintains rigorous
        standards before releasing new versions of their server,
        and our server runs without a hitch on over one half of all
        WWW servers available on the Internet. When bugs do show
        up, we release patches and new versions as soon as they are
        available.</p>
        <hr />
      </li>

      <li>
        <a id="future" name="future"><strong>What are the future
        plans for Apache?</strong></a> 

        <ul>
          <li>to continue to be an "open source" no-charge-for-use
          HTTP server,</li>

          <li>to keep up with advances in HTTP protocol and web
          developments in general,</li>

          <li>to collect suggestions for fixes/improvements from
          its users,</li>

          <li>to respond to needs of large volume providers as well
          as occasional users.</li>
        </ul>
        <hr />
      </li>

      <li>
        <a id="support" name="support"><strong>Whom do I contact
        for support?</strong></a> 

        <p>There is no official support for Apache. None of the
        developers want to be swamped by a flood of trivial
        questions that can be resolved elsewhere. Bug reports and
        suggestions should be sent <em>via</em> <a
        href="http://httpd.apache.org/bug_report.html">the bug
        report page</a>. Other questions should be directed to the
        <a href="http://httpd.apache.org/userslist.html">Apache HTTP
        Server Users List</a> or the
        <a
        href="news:comp.infosystems.www.servers.unix">comp.infosystems.www.servers.unix</a>
        or <a
        href="news:comp.infosystems.www.servers.ms-windows">comp.infosystems.www.servers.ms-windows</a>
        newsgroup (as appropriate for the platform you use), where
        some of the Apache team lurk, in the company of many other
        httpd gurus who should be able to help.</p>

        <p>Commercial support for Apache is, however, available
        from a number of third parties.</p>
        <hr />
      </li>

      <li>
        <a id="more" name="more"><strong>Is there any more
        information available on Apache?</strong></a> 

        <p>Indeed there is. See the main <a
        href="http://httpd.apache.org/">Apache web site</a>. There
        is also a regular electronic publication called <a
        href="http://www.apacheweek.com/" rel="Help"><cite>Apache
        Week</cite></a> available. Links to relevant <cite>Apache
        Week</cite> articles are included below where appropriate.
        There are also some <a
        href="http://httpd.apache.org/info/apache_books.html">Apache-specific
        books</a> available.</p>
        <hr />
      </li>

      <li>
        <a id="where" name="where"><strong>Where can I get
        Apache?</strong></a> 

        <p>You can find out how to download the source for Apache
        at the project's <a href="http://httpd.apache.org/">main
        web page</a>.</p>
        <hr />
      </li>

      <li>
        <a id="logo" name="logo"><b>May I use the Apache logo on my
        product or Web site?</b></a> 

        <p>You may <b>NOT</b> use any original artwork from the
        Apache Software Foundation, nor make or use modified
        versions of such artwork, except under the following
        conditions:</p>

        <ul>
          <li>You may use the <a
          href="http://www.apache.org/images/apache_pb.gif">'Powered by Apache'
          graphic</a> on a Web site that is being served by the
          Apache HTTP server software.</li>

          <li>You may use the aforementioned 'Powered by Apache'
          graphic or the <a
          href="http://www.apache.org/images/asf_logo.gif">
          Apache Software Foundation logo</a> in product
          description and promotional material <b>IF and ONLY
          IF</b> such use can in no way be interpreted as anything
          other than an attribution. Using the Apache name and
          artwork in a manner that implies endorsement of a product
          or service is <b>strictly forbidden</b>.</li>
        </ul>
        <hr />
      </li>
    </ol>
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